Stethophone

Stethophone is a software platform that captures hard-to-detect, non-structural cardiac acoustic signals using only a smartphone microphone, then structures and analyzes them into diagnostic-quality heart-sound data clinicians can act on with confidence. Stethophone holds multiple FDA clearances in the US.
Stethophone was created to solve one of cardiovascular care’s most persistent problems: heart disease is often present long before it is detected. Conditions such as valvular heart disease and aortic stenosis can progress silently, while routine encounters in primary care, urgent care, pre-op, or telemedicine often generate no structured cardiac signal that can trigger timely evaluation.
Sparrow BioAcoustics saw an opportunity to move cardiac detection upstream. Instead of relying only on specialized equipment or late referral pathways, Stethophone turns a standard smartphone into a regulated medical device for capturing and analyzing heart sounds. It helps clinicians and patients generate objective cardiac data earlier, in everyday settings, so potential abnormalities can be recognized and escalated sooner.
The invention was created to close the gap between when heart disease begins and when the healthcare system finally sees it.
Stethophone is groundbreaking because it turns cardiac assessment from a hardware-dependent exam into software-based detection infrastructure. Previous solutions have largely relied on dedicated stethoscopes, amplified listening devices, or specialist-led exams. Stethophone uses a standard smartphone to capture heart sounds and convert them into structured cardiac signals that can support clinical review, triage, and referral.
What sets it apart is AI Phonoscopy: deep acoustic analysis designed to identify murmurs, rhythm-related patterns, and other clinically relevant sound features during everyday encounters. It requires no external hardware, no device fleet, and no separate infrastructure, making deployment far more scalable than traditional cardiac tools.
It is also the first and only FDA-cleared software platform specifically for smartphone-based cardiac sound analysis.
As a regulated Class II medical device with U.S. FDA clearances, Health Canada licensing, and real-world clinical deployment. It creates a new layer of cardiac data where none previously existed.